Hello, We will be traveling in Europe from mid-late April/early May. We plan to spend about a week in the Utrecht/Amsterdam area (including Keukenhof for tulips). We would then like to end up in Northern Italy (possibly Milan or Torino) to then train/drive to Tuscany (probably driving down along the coast).

Here is my question: we'd love to be able to fly from the Amsterdam area to somewhere in Switzerland that would then allow us to see some of the alps by train as we head to Italy. Ideally, we'd like to take either the Glacier or Bernina Express ((those routes look amazing)) for that latter part of the trip. I've done a bunch of searching online already but am still not sure what might be the best options for cheap flight to somewhere that sets us up for a wonderful scenic train trip. We can take 1-3 days to do this -- we don't like to feel rushed in our travel, but are also happy to keep moving.

Thoughts? Many thanks.
H

p.s. we are happy to end in Milan or Torino.

Torino is the terminus of the Bernina Express - a nowhere border town - or do you mean Turin -near Milan?

Bernina Express is IME far more scenic than the Glacier Express and easily incorporated into a Paris-Bernina-Milan route if you have 2-3 days:

TGV train Paris to Zurich (or Basel and Swiss domestic train to Zurich)

Zurich to Chur, change trains for St Moritz - stay the night

next day take the Bernina Express (to me europe's most scenic railway) to Torino, Italy on the Swiss border and take trains to Milan - you can get off of Varenna-Esino and take a boat to Bellagio if you want to experience Lake Como for a day or two.

Forlots of great info on trains and this routing check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - all have good stuff on Bernina Express.

OP is travelling from the Netherlands, not France Pal!

Oops - fly to Zurich, the only logical place - dank u hetismij2!

But if they want to also see some of Paris - it is just about 3.5 hours from Amsterdam by train.

There is also an overnight train from Amsterdam to Zurich - www.bahn.de/en for schedules.

Here's my suggestion to save your money and time:

You take an overnight train (city night line) from Amsterdam CS to Zurich HB dec Ams 20.31 arrive Zurich 08.05am, the you can take direct train from Zurich HB to Chur. From Chur you can take Glacier Express to Zermatt and spend 2 nights there (Zermatt is super amazing) and then take train to Milan via Visp.

Thanks all. This is helpful. Any sense of what these trips will be like in late April? We have thought about simply flying from Amsterdam to Italy (and hoping to return to the Swiss Alps in the future) if the Alps are going to be mostly cold and muddy. But then I was thinking that train trip might be the way to see the Alps even in early spring?

Also, no interest in France for this trip.

Thoughts about train vs. plane from Amsterdam to Zurich in terms of which is less stressful/frenetic?

Pal, you are, unfortunately, mistaken. Tirano, NOT Torino, is the southern terminus of the Bernina.

To the OP: you can find budget flights using www.skyscanner.com

I agree that you can do the Bernina from Zurich (IMO the hotels in Chur aren't a great place to stay but I am CERTAIN others will disagree).

You can get up early and take the train from Zurich to Chur and change for the Bernina there. I've done both the Bernina and the Glacier and I agree that the overall Bernina scenery is more spectacular and the trip takes considerably less time.

If you travel in one of the Panorama cars that is worth the additional expense given the larger windows.

The official site for the train is here: www.rhb.ch (there's an English language version)

The Glacier can position for a further trip on the Bernina but I would not bother trying to combine both.

The only "issue" with ending in Tirano is the wait for the connection to Milano which can sometimes be a matter of a couple of hours. The connection itself is easy since the terminating rail station is within site of the Trenord station across a small square and in Italy itself.

Sorry, meant to say the terminating station is within <B>sight</B> not site.

Amsterdam - Switzerland:
fly with http://www.easyjet.com/ from AMS to either Basel or Geneva. Fares start around 60 EUR (with 1 piece of checked in luggage).

Trains to and over Bernina Pass:
Basel - Chur (2 1/2 hrs journey): trains every 30-60 min from 4.37am until 22.07
Chur - Pontresina (2 hrs journey): trains every hr from 6.58 until 20.56
Pontresina - Bernina Pass - Tirano (2 hrs journey): trains about every hr from 7.04 until 20.14
Tirano - Varenna (1 1/2 hrs) - Milano (2 1/2 hrs): trains at least every 2 hrs from 6.12 until 20.08

About 4 daily Lake Como boats from Varenna to Como.

If you prefer to go to Torino, you may fly to Geneva and go on by bus to Chamonix Mont Blanc - Courmayeur - Aosta and then by train to Torino. Chamonix and Courmayeur are in the heart of the Alps; Aosta is a charming town with roman buildiings and a medieval city center.

Pal, you are, unfortunately, mistaken. Tirano, NOT Torino, is the southern terminus of the Bernina.>

Yes of course I know that but a brain malfunction - thanks for the correction! Tirano on the end of the Bernina Pass Railway not Torino!

You can take other trains along that Bernina route but

they require changes

they do not carry Panorama cars

IMO if you are going to do it then do it up right.

There are some direct Bernina Express trains from Chur - more from St Moritz and Pontresina and regular trains over both routes you can just show up and get on. And there is also the Glacier Express train from Reichenau (train there from nearby Chur) to St Moritz -both express trains need reservations - about $12-15 I believe - regular trains again you just hop on and though they do not have the ballyhooed observation cars the big windows are enough to see the scintillating scenery.

At Tirano you get Italian regional trains which again do not require reservations (not even possible) so just buy your ticket at Tirano (try to buy it in St Moritz though as sometimes connecting trains at Tirano do not have much time between them and the arriving Bernina Pass trains - and you do have to cross the square between stations - probably no more than 200 metres.

I'd want to take overnight train from Zurich rather than flying if I were you.

Edited:

I'd want to take overnight train from Amsterdam TO Zurich rather than flying if I were you.

Sometimes that overnight train leaves from Utrecht with connecting 30-min trains from Amsterdam - currently it leaves from Amsterdam itself but a check for two months from now has it leaving from Utrecht - check www.bahn.de/en for current schedules.

Thanks all, this has been very helpful!

The difference between the official BE and regular locals that roll thru the exact same scenery and have large windows endemic to all Swiss trains is that the official BE has the trappings of a tour, with a hostess or host and commentary en route but IME of taking and observing such trains they are inevitably chock full and thus you are stuck in your seat - I prefer the locals which are usually not nearly full, allowing me to hop back and forth from side to side as the scenery dictates - to me a more relaxed ride than in a full coach that inhibits dashing back and forth.

You can just show up and hop on the regular trains but for BE should make a mandated seat reservation far in advance to guarantee a spot on the train.